How Education Led a Female UniJos Student into Depression

Zainab used to love school.

She was the kind of girl who looked forward to lectures, raised her hand in class, and kept her notes neat enough for classmates to borrow. But all that changed in her 200 level.

It wasn’t her course. It wasn’t her grades. It was money.

Every semester, tuition deadlines crept in like a storm. She would scroll through her phone, wondering who to beg this time. Her parents were doing their best, but with three other siblings in school, there was never enough. Her side hustle — small catering gigs — barely covered her feeding and photocopies.

It started with headaches. Then sleepless nights. Then silence. Zainab began missing lectures, avoiding group chats, and dreading school emails. She’d lie awake thinking, “What’s the point of attending classes I might not write exams for?”

The pressure broke her.

“I didn’t even realise I was falling into depression,” she later admitted. “I just knew I was always anxious… always sad… always tired.”

One day, while scrolling through her phone, she came across something that would quietly shift her story. A simple way to set small amounts aside — without the stress of managing an account or the temptation of spending it. It sounded ordinary. But it became her lifeline.

₦500 here. ₦1,000 there. Slowly, quietly, she was building a cushion — something she could rely on when school started asking questions again.

And this time, when the tuition list came out, she didn’t break down.

“I paid from what I had already saved. For the first time in years, I didn’t have to beg anyone. It felt like breathing again.”

Zainab’s story isn’t unique. Many students struggle silently — not with school itself, but with the weight of trying to afford it.

If you’re in that space, there’s hope. Sometimes, it starts with just ₦500.

Learn how EduSAVINGS on the PressPayNg app is helping students like Zainab take back control — one quiet step at a time.

Want to grow your brand? Advertise with us—send a mail to Eunice at eunice.uke@presspay.ng to get started!